Wiee hope railway



(No Model.) 4 s:Ineens-smeet; 1.

I Sl I Y WRE ROPE RAILWAY.

Patented May Z2, 1883.

N, PETERS. Pnmmhngnphw. wamington, D, C.

(Noy Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. S. RAY.

WIRE ROPE RAILWAY. No. 278,044. Patented May Z2, 1883.

Iig. 3.

N. Pneus. wmommmpher. wmingw n.1;

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

W. S. RAY.

- WIRE ROPE RAILWAY.

No. 278,044 Patented May 22,1883.

WITNEESER .Im/Emma (No vModel.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

W. S. RAY.

WIRE ROPE RAILWAY.

` Patented May 22,1883.

I lmll EEE f Zay/amore WITNESSES ATTORN EYJ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM s. RAY, oF sAN FEANCIsCo, CALIFORNIA.

WIRE-ROPEV RAlLwAY..

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 278,044, dated May 22, 1883. Application tiled May 6, 1881. (No model.)

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM S. RAY, of the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented an Improvement in Wire-Rope Railways; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to certain improvements in wire-rope railways; and it consists of a novel construction of the ropeway and of the gripping apparatus by which the car is connected with the rope, whereby the car may be propelled around curves or made to cross other cable-lines without -interfering with them. This is effected by the use .of an independent moving device, which isvplaced in the upper part of the cable tube or tunnel where the curve or crossing is to be made, and a V mechanism secured to the grip, which willengage with this device when required, the rope or cable being depressed, so as to be entirely' out of the way at these points. v

Referring to the accompanying drawings for a more complete explanation of my invention, Figure 1 is a perspective view ol' a curve, showing the relative position of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a crossing. Fig. 3 shows the position of the rollers within the cable-tube and the position of the grip. Fig. et is a side view of the grip. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the curve and apparatus. Fig. 6 is a view of the rollers G E and the unitingchain.

A is a linc of track, and B is a curve to be turned, or a Crossin g where another cableline already laid must be crossed.

U is the cable, which is supported and guided upon pulleys in Vthe usual manner to a point, D, near where the curve commences. At this point the cable is depressed tothe bottom ot' the tube by passing beneath suitable pulleys, and it may be carried around the curve by Ineans of directing-pulleys in any suitable manner.

`The device for carrying the car around the* enrveconsists of a chain "of rollers, E, which are'supported in linksF (see Fig. 6) near each end. These rollers travel upon a curved track which runs parallel with the slot through 5o which the shanlt of the grip passes, and they are close to the upper part or the tube. This chain is driven by a bevel-gearing, a, which is actuated by the cable C as it passes over the roller at D. Upon the `central portion of the rollers E, which lies betweenV the supporting and uniting links, and which is made smaller than the ends, loose sleeves G turn. sleeves may be stopped in their motion at any time when the rollers from the grip are forced against them without' affecting the motion of the rollers E, which travel upon the guidetrack. The chainof rollers, after passing the curve,"are returned around pulleys H, thus making in effect a continous endless'belt. The grip may be of any of the forms which are used for gripping the cable; but this grip drops thecable just before the latter is depressed at the curve at D,as before described. A secondary apparatus consisting of rollers I, which may be moved up and down in guides on the grip by an independent lever, isfemployed to engage with the loose sleeves G on the rollers F. These rollers I are moved up until they are crowded against the sleeves or rollers Gr, when the latter will cease to revolve, and the moving chain of rollers F, traveling upon their tracks, will carry the grip and the car around the curve, after which the rollers I may be depressed, and as the cable also rises to its ordinary position at this point the regular grip may be caused to again engage the cable, and thus continue the movement of the car.

In order to resist the side pressure caused by the crowding of the rollers I ot' the grip against those G ofthe moving endless chain, a series of rollers, J, are iixed just outside the plane ofthe slot in the roadway, so that when the grip-rollers l are forced into contact with IOO y 2 p p 278,044

The sleeves G are preferably madein a curve from end to end, or conical, and the rollers I are of similar shape, so as to enter between the rollers or sleeves G, and as they are forced up they are crowded or wedged in until they may be moved by the traveling chain of rollers.

When another cable-line is to be crossed it will be manifest that the cable C will be de pressed by pulleys in the same manner as before described, so as to pass along the bottom ot' its tube and below the np-and-down lines of the cable to be crossed. The traveling chains of rollers E will extend from a point near one ot' the cables to be crossed to the other, or over the space between the two tracks,

so that as soon as the grip `has been carried across the space occupied by the cable by the momentum of the car the rollers I may be caused to engage the collar Gr, and thus move the car across the short space between the upand-down line of the cables ot' the crossing road.

By the use of this mechanism Iain enabled to disengage the grip and stop the car at any point on the curve, which is a convenience upon long gradual curves where it may be desirable.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and lesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The endless chain of traveling rollers E moving` upon guiding rails or tracks near the upper part of the cable-tube, each roller having a sleeve, G, turning upon its axis, in combination with the rollers I upon the grip, and anoperatinglever, whereby the rollers may be forced into contact with sleeves or rollers G, so as to be bound or held between them, substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

2. The chain of moving rollers G, extending around the curve7 soas to be engaged by the grip from the car, in combination with said grip, the xed rollers J upon the opposite side of the curve, so placed., as to press upon and resistsidelnovexnent ot' the grip, substantially as herein described.

3. The traveling endless chain, consisting` of the links F, having the rollers E journaled in them, and the loosely-revolving sleeves Gt turning upon them between the links, substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

lVitnesses:

S. H. NoURsE, J. H. BLOOD. 

